Chapter 345 - Episode 9: Class of 175 Shop No. 4
Lately, I've been quite busy going here and there, but now that it's December, I can finally take it easy. The sea snake subjugation is in February at the earliest. We also have to prepare for the New Year at the farm.
Looking at it again, the Flatlands has changed quite a bit.
Our farm is near the entrance to the highway, but various buildings have been built in the vicinity. First, there's a station. Which means, in other words, there's an inn. And a guard outpost was built. Ten people will come in shifts. Eventually, they will probably recruit personnel in the Flatlands, but until then, the town seems to take care of it. However, the Light Infantry Corps is in the central part. The population of the Flatlands itself is small, and there will be no hindrance to security.
Since the mining of silica has become full-scale, several buildings related to the mine have been built. Now, more than a dozen men are working every day. Some of them seem to be people who fled from Engrio. Those involved are staying in huts built near the mine. Mining is hard work but pays well, so a bar was built, and a building for the prostitutes dispatched from the brothel was also built.
In addition, bars and cafeterias operated by the Light Infantry Corps as a cover were built. Clothes and daily necessities are already available because our shop has a business alliance with the shops in Nakanohara. Also, since we formed a business alliance with the Nakanohara Bento Service, we can receive orders at the fourth shop in the morning, send them to the main shop using the magic circle for sending letters, and have the ones made at the main shop sent to the teleportation magic circle in the basement via the Marcelo Company.
Thinking about the entire Flatlands, there's a fortress of the Light Infantry Corps in the center, and highways run north, south, east, and west from there. The highways are planned to have two more running north-south and two more running east-west, but at the moment, they haven't reached full opening. For now, only the highway extending north from the westernmost exit... near our farm... and the western half of the highway running east-west are completed. The waterways basically follow the highways as well. However, since the amount of water flowing is small, the waterways are no different from ditches unless it rains. Since it can't be used for drinking water, wells are being dug in the settlements.
Many parts of the eastern region are untouched. The movement of trees hasn't been completed either.
Inevitably, development will proceed from the western part.
The population is currently about four hundred people, excluding the Light Infantry Corps. Due to the war, the designation of development by national policy was delayed, and it eventually became a testing ground. Since it became impossible to reclaim purchased wasteland and make it one's own land, wealthy people withdrew, and it's less than half of the plan. At the moment, settlements have only been formed at the location of the station, the area around the fortress in the center of the Flatlands, the district where the westernmost highway and the central highway intersect, and around our farm.
Seeing off the two bowls... one carrying Lyudmila, who goes for agricultural guidance with Flora manipulated by the bandits, and the other carrying Bonnie, who goes to scatter food for the boars manipulated by Paul-san... I decided to start preparing for the opening of the shop.
When I go to the shop, Miana is already there. Since there are enough people today, the Alraunes are off.
"For now, rather than a girls' shop, it'll be work for the men at the silica mine. First is the sale of breakfast bentos. What's for today?"
"I cut the baked round bread in half and sandwiched roasted cheese and bacon inside. It's placed on top of Jeanne's Warm magic circle so it doesn't get cold."
At Mary's instruction, Miana, wearing an apron over her uniform, replies.
"Oh, that looks delicious! Give me one later."
Is being a shopkeeper such a carefree thing?
"And then, the laundry of work clothes. That said, it's just taking in the ones hung over the Clean Up magic circle Jeanne made and handing them to the people who come to pick them up. I've attached tags with names on them, so don't make a mistake. Also, don't forget to take orders for lunch bentos. I'll contact the Nakanohara Bento Service. At that time, go back to Nakanohara once and help with the bento making."
"Yes."
Today is Miana's debut at the fourth shop.
Since it's tough to deal with the men all of a sudden, I had her work at the main shop for a week. Since Fiona is in Nakanohara today, she came here after leaving the main shop to her.
Just as expected of someone who was baking bread from early morning at the third shop, she woke up with the dawn and came with Lyudmila.
"Beowulf, I'm going to milk the goats, so help me carry it."
Calling out to Beowulf, who is wearing autumn/winter green marble, I go to the livestock shed with a jar. A rabbit approached and raised its right hand. It's Keira. Lately, she's been going out to explore the area around the farm in the evening and at dawn. She's looking for rabbit territory. Since the rabbit hutch hasn't been built yet, she hasn't started full-scale activities, but eventually, we plan to raise them.
I cast Repellent and combed her fur. I buried the fallen parasites with soil. For a while, I stroked her snout. She's crouching and closing her eyes as if it feels good.
"Keira, Miana is here today. It'll be her debut at the fourth shop, so please stay with her."
Keira is in charge of rabbits and is a demon, so she doesn't help with the shop. She just sits in a chair and talks to the men, but after all, she's Mary II. In no time, she became popular, and when she's in the shop, fans have come to see her.
Keira, after twitching her ears, stood up and hopped toward the residential area.
She enters through the entrance exclusively for Keira-rabbit that Matilda made. She has one of the bedrooms as her own and keeps her clothes there. Since someone eats with the bandits, she basically stays here. When there's no one at the farm, she comes to stay in my room. Since there's only one bed for now, we sleep together, and when I go on an expedition, I have her watch the room. Matilda said she would make one for her, so I plan to wait patiently. Keira would also be happier if Matilda made it rather than buying a ready-made one.
When I bring two jars of goat milk to the shop with Beowulf, more than a dozen men have already gathered to pick up breakfast and the work clothes they put out yesterday.
Usually, Lyudmila or Bonnie is responding, but today is Miana's debut match.
When Miana opens the door, the first one to show his face was one of the bandits.
"Oh? Is that a new face?"
Despite knowing, he raises his voice as if on purpose.
"Y-yes. My name is Miana. I-I'll be working here from today."
Miana seems nervous and doesn't understand at all.
"Hey, there's a new face today! She says her name is Miana-san!"
He turns around and shouts in a loud voice.
Everyone peeks in, wondering what's going on. Two or three bandits are mixed in.
Beowulf stood behind Miana, who had turned red. She gently placed her hand on Miana's shoulder.
"Um, I've come to work here from today, M-Miana. Nice to meet you."
"I see, so you're Miana-san. You're cute."
As one of the bandits reached out his hand, Beowulf slapped that hand away.
"Don't you go touching the girls in our shop so casually!"
The men recoiled with a start.
After all, she's a shock trooper selected for the Central Army as heavy infantry. Her pressure is no joke.
"M-my bad. I won't do anything bad again."
The bandit is apologizing repeatedly.
"You idiot, don't get carried away!"
Another bandit is poking him.
What a farce. Even if it's to protect Miana, I don't think there's a need to go this far.
"Exactly. This is a shop run by the Dragon Killer. Try doing something clumsy, and you'll be burned to cinders in an instant."
Hey! You bandit over there! You're saying too much!
Since I couldn't talk back, I glared at him, and the men buzzed and recoiled even further. It might have had the opposite effect.
"Yes, yes, everyone, good morning. Thank you for waiting. Today, Lyudmila isn't here, so these girls and Keira will respond, so please be kind to them! Jeanne the Dragon Killer here is in charge of livestock, so please rest assured."
Mary, you too.
Yes, yes, for some reason I was pushed to the back, and in exchange, Keira, who had changed into her uniform, entered. A brass brooch is shining on her chest.
"Oh? Jeanne. Where are you going?"
"Somehow, I was kicked out because the customers would run away. I'm looking after the livestock."
"Hmm."
While tilting her head, she entered the shop, and the cheers of the men could be heard.
"Everyone, good morning! It's Keira!"
Today there are three star attractions. Surely, it'll be prosperous.
Paul-san and Bonnie returned. Since they set food in three places, it took time. After a short break, I also participated in the boar hunt on the bowl. I released Overflow three times and achieved a result of seventeen boars.
I teleported sixteen boars to the warehouse and returned with one tied to the bowl, and just then, the men had come to buy bentos. The reason there are so many is probably because they came to see the three star attractions.
"Oh! It's the Dragon Killer!"
A bandit who had slipped in pointed at me and said something unnecessary.
"How many did you get today!"
"Seventeen! With three of Jeanne's spells, it was over in an instant!"
To the bandit who asked even more unnecessary things, Paul-san said even more unnecessary things.
Moreover, he's showing off the boars with low-altitude flight.
"Hey, did you hear? Seventeen boars in one hunt."
"As expected, the Dragon Killer is amazing."
My reputation is dropping more and more...
Miana's guard is Beowulf, not me.
When Paul-san stopped the bowl in front of the cafeteria next to the shop, Bonnie cut the boar's rope with a knife. The boar fell and made a heavy sound.
"What are you going to do with this!"
A female soldier of the Royal Army dressed as a shop assistant jumped out of the cafeteria.
"It's a gift. Make us roasted ones for the number of people. Do whatever you want with the rest."
"Yay! Thank you very much. As expected of the Dragon Killer. You're generous."
The generous one should be Paul-san.
Apparently, it's the second part of the farce. I'm being used as a source to the end. Anyway, the script must have been thought up by Director Paul.
"Then, everyone, farewell."
What farewell. You're just going to the back.
When I complained, I was told it was for Miana-sama.
When I'm told that, I can't say anything. Moreover, I can't talk about the fact that she was kidnapped because of certain words.
"Don't worry, it's only for today. After that, the Light Infantry Corps and the female soldiers of the Royal Army will do well. Beowulf is also there. In short, the beginning is important."
He's laughing, "Kah-kah-kah."
"Please make it only for today."
"Yeah, don't worry. Also, Lewis is coming for an inspection tomorrow. I heard it when I stopped by the fortress."
"An inspection?"
The commander of the Light Infantry Corps? Usually, he's slipping into the Boar Club or banquets before I know it, so there should be no need for an inspection.
Is there something?